March 2022 - Aviation, Inflight and Aero Connectivity Consultants

FedEx Express to Test Elroy VTOL for Autonomous Middle Mile Cargo Delivery

FedEx is partnering with Elroy Air to evaluate the use of an autonomous VTOL aircraft for middle-mile logistics operations. (FedEx Express)

FedEx Express, the regional subsidiary of FedEx Corp., has a new partnership agreement with Elroy Air aimed at flight-testing their autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air cargo system for middle-mile logistics operations by 2023.

Elroy Air revealed its pre-production vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the Chaparral—which could become the first end-to-end autonomous VTOL air cargo system—in January. Headquartered in San Francisco, the startup has received funding from Catapult Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Marlinspike Capital, and Prosperity7 Ventures, in addition to various angel investors.

The new agreement between the two companies is a “first of its kind agreement,” according to the March 30 announcement from FedEx Express, which plans to test the Chaparral’s ability to fly shipments between its various sortation facilities. Joe Stephens, senior vice president of engineering and technology at FedEx Express, in the announcement said the air cargo operator was “built on innovation and we are always looking toward new technologies to help enhance the logistics industry through improved safety, efficiency and customer service.”

Chaparral is being developed with a hybrid-electric architecture and an in-flight rechargeable lithium battery to be capable of carrying cargo weighing up to 500 pounds with a maximum range of 300 miles. An early prototype of Elroy’s Chaparral was first flown in 2019. Today, the model possesses eight vertical lift fans, four distributed electric propulsors, and updated systems for ground autonomy and cargo handling.

FedEx Express is the second regional carrier to express interest in future operations of Chaparral, after signing an agreement with Mesa Airlines for a future purchase of up to 150 aircraft. Kofi Asante, Elroy Air’s vice president of business development, said the company is ready to help FedEx build “the next generation of express logistics. When you’re not limited by challenging infrastructure, traffic, or airports, logistics can reach more people, faster than ever before.”

Elroy Air first began working with FedEx in January 2020, and will continue to pursue certifications toward a goal of beginning flight-testing of the Chaparral for middle-mile logistics operations in 2023.

The post FedEx Express to Test Elroy VTOL for Autonomous Middle Mile Cargo Delivery appeared first on Aviation Today.

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17 New Avionics Technologies Introduced at the 2022 Aircraft Electronics Association Convention

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — Business and general aviation aircraft electronics are becoming increasingly more connected and digital within smaller modular form factors, as evidenced by the opening ceremony of the annual 2022 Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) convention.

There were a total of 30 new avionics products introduced during this year’s ceremony, with a significant number of them providing general aviation operators with new methods for acquiring, transmitting, and analyzing critical flight operational and aircraft system maintenance data. This list highlights 17 of the most innovative new avionics technologies introduced during the opening ceremony.

The list is in no ranking order, and does not feature every new product that was introduced during the opening ceremony. Some of these technologies were previously announced or launched prior to AEA’s 2022 convention; however, this was the first time Avionics was provided access to or acknowledgment of them, while some others included new software or other feature updates being announced for the first time.

Universal Avionics Connectivity Ecosystem

Universal Avionics provided this overview of its “Connectivity Ecosystem” during its new product introduction. (Universal Avionics)

Universal Avionics introduced its new FlightPartner and FlightReview applications, which the company describes as its initial launch of a broader “Connectivity Ecosystem.” First unveiled during the 2021 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference and exhibition back in October 2021, both applications are hosted on an iPad and have a native connection to Universal’s flight management system (FMS).

FlightPartner effectively enables a two-way data exchange that allows pilots to manipulate flight plan data on the FMS display with their iPad throughout the flight. FlightReview is the more maintenance-focused of the two applications, as its native connection to the FMS uploads flight operational data to the cloud-based operating system used by Universal Avionics to host its applications, where that data can then be accessed by maintenance technicians for review on a per-flight basis.

According to the company’s website, the applications will become available for use by the “end of the first quarter of 2022.”

Flightcell’s SmartHub

Flightcell’s new SmartHub is a HD video, audio, flight data recorder and access point for USB/IP devices. (Flightcell)

Flightcell, the New Zealand-based airborne communications supplier, introduced its new SmartHub all-in-one cockpit recorder that targets the rotorcraft market. SmartHub is capable of recording cockpit audio, video, and aircraft flight data, while also serving as an aviation-compliant Wi-Fi access point.

According to Flightcell, the SmartHub can also serve as a digital maintenance log of specific flight exceedances that are configured to be monitored by a flight operations or maintenance department. SmartHub can be installed under a local modification (minor change) and “can be mounted in various positions in the smallest machines to provide virtually a ‘plug and play’ recording capability.”

John Wyllie, Flightcell CEO, said the SmartHub was developed in response to customer demand and for what his company is seeing related to increasing civil aviation regulatory requirements for “mandatory cockpit recording, especially for government and public sector rotorcraft operators.”

Astronautics AeroSync

Astronautics’ AeroSync connectivity system for Airbus Helicopters. (Astronautics)

Astronautics Corp., the Oak Creek, Wisconsin-based avionics maker, introduced its new AeroSync Wireless Airborne Communication System (WACS). First launched at the 2022 Heli-Expo conference and exhibition earlier this month, the system provides data acquisition and health monitoring for helicopter operators, while also being capable of providing cabin in-flight connectivity (IFC) for passengers. AeroSync has also received a technical standard order (TSO) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enable streaming mission data and video between helicopter and ground-based systems.

The system has already been selected as line-fit connectivity for Airbus Helicopters’ new production H125s and H130s. AeroSync is also the line-fit connectivity solution for Airbus’ new H145 platforms.

Thommen Aircraft’s CRT-to-LCD Display Upgrades

Thommen Aircraft Equipment introduced its new CRT-to-LCD display upgrade service. (Thommen Aircraft Equipment)

Switzerland-based avionics manufacturer Thommen Aircraft is targeting legacy cathode-ray tube (CRT) and first-generation liquid crystal display (LCD) cockpits with its new display replacement services. The company notes that its in-house lamination and assembly services can tailor-cut modern LCD upgrades for “virtually any size of displays that are used in aircraft cockpits and mission systems.”

In the upgrade process, analog information is converted and processed to color and composite video signals to provide accurate navigation and mission data to the flight crew in a digital format, according to Thommen.

Flight Data Systems FDAIU

Flight Data Systems, the Irving, Texas-based aircraft data acquisition and recording supplier, has launched a new Flight Data Acquisition Interface Unit (FDAIU) as a plug-and-play replacement upgrade for legacy ARINC 542A recorders “such as the L3 Fairchild F1000 & F800,” according to a March 2 press release.

“As finding functional spare parts or repair services for widely used legacy FDRs is becoming more challenging, global supply chains have moved to accelerate end-of-support for legacy ARINC 542A recorders,” Flight Data Systems said in its announcement of the new FDAIU.

The company notes that the FDAIU is also a replacement option for its own line of legacy SENTRY flight data recorders (FDRs), that is capable of keeping the existing ARINC 404A ½ ATR long tray, connectors, and wiring for those recorders in place so that there is no modification required to the aircraft.

Avionica’s miniAID

Avionica’s mini aircraft interface device (miniAID). (Avionica)

Avionica Vice President of Products and Services Scott Ridge provided an overview of the Miami, Florida-based avionics maker’s new aircraft interface device (AID), the miniAID.

“Allowing two-way connectivity from your connected aircraft to your Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), with the wireless built in and the cellular built in, this connects your EFB to the aircraft operational data. A very specific application that is often used is aircraft moving map,” Ridge said.

Originally launched at the 2021 NBAA conference and exhibition, the miniAID features an optional integrated GPS receiver and wired Ethernet as well as 32 gigabytes (GB) of storage. The box is just under two inches in height and weighs 6.9 ounces.

RightHand Technologies CabinLink 6

RightHand Technologies launched its new CabinLink 6 at AEA 2022. (RightHand Technologies)

RightHand Technologies, the Chicago-based original design manufacturer, introduced its new CabinLink 6, a Wi-Fi 6 wireless access point that the company claims to be capable of enabling up to “40% faster streaming” on connected mobile devices.

According to Cisco, Wi-Fi 6 is the sixth generation Wi-Fi standard, also known as 802.11ax, capable of generating a theoretical maximum connection speed of 9.6 gbps, as opposed to the maximum 3.5 gbps allowed by Wi-Fi 5.

The company has included five ethernet ports and a detachable radome antenna to optimize ease of installation into aircraft. According to RightHand Technologies, their CabinLink 6 is “business jet certified” and will become available by the fourth quarter of this year for a list price of less than $10,000.

Jupiter Avionics Eclipse Digital Audio System

The new Jupiter Avionics digital audio system (Jupiter Avionics)

Jupiter Avionics introduced its new Eclipse digital audio system, with the JACS-001 audio control system serving as the “brains,” according to Bryan Hart, the company’s senior marketing manager. JACS-001 allows aircraft OEMs or modification providers to connect up to seven control panels or two multi-function displays, two speaker outputs, and an audio configuration module for programming. In total, the Eclipse digital audio system enables up to six direct inputs, eight receivers and 11 transmit positions.

Texas Aerospace Technologies TXA201 Tri-Axial Accelerometer

Brad Sutphin, VP of Texas Aerospace Technologies, introduced the company’s new next generation triaxial accelerometer, the TXA201. The primary functionality of accelerometers are to measure vertical, longitudinal and lateral acceleration for flight data recorders.

An overview of the TXA201 from Sutphin notes that it uses Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to convert gravitational and inertial forces into a DC voltage output for each of the three axis requirements lateral, longitudinal, and vertical for FDRs and flight data acquisition units. The company expects to achieve certification for the TXA201 by June 2022.

Mid Continent Instruments and Avionics Displays

(Mid Continent Instruments and Avionics)

Mid Continent Instruments and Avionics introduced five new 2-inch digital instruments, including new counter drum encoding altimeters, airspeed indicators, GPS clocks, battery ACUs, and attitude indicators.

CCX Technologies GPS Antenna Coupler

The new CCX Technologies GPS Antenna Coupler (CCX Technologies)

CCX Technologies introduced its new GPS Antenna Coupler, which works collaboratively with the company’s T-RX avionics tester to validate the functionality of aircraft GPS radios. The new antenna coupler is capable of providing more than 20 decibels (dB) of antenna isolation from outside GPS signal interference.

Chris Bartlett, president of CCX Technologies, said in a statement that the new coupler addresses issues that can occur when testing aircraft GPS radios, “because GPS satellite signals must be excluded during the tests, and you don’t want to interfere with another aircraft’s GPS while testing the aircraft. Our new GPS Antenna Coupler provides superior signal isolation so that testing can occur inside or outside the hangar without worrying about interference from satellites or interfering with the GPS radios of other nearby aircraft.”

Garmin’s D2 Mach 1 Smartwatch

Garmin’s new D2 Mach 1 aviator smartwatch (Garmin International)

Garmin International introduced its new D2-Mach 1 GPS aviator smartwatch, the latest in its D2 aviation watch family. The Mach 1 features a touchscreen Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) display and is capable of assisting pilots with pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight functionality such as multi-band frequency and multi-GNSS support for more accurate GPS positioning.

Additionally, the watch has a preloaded global aeronautical database that enables a “direct-to-navigation” feature which allows pilots to navigate to the next waypoint within their flight plan.

Viavi’s AVX-10K Flight Line Test Set

The AVX-10K flight line test set (Viavi Solutions)

Viavi Solutions, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based test and monitoring equipment supplier, introduced its new AVX-10K flight line test set. The AVX-10K is compatible with Android and iOS devices, has a digital touchscreen interface, and is capable of reporting and transferring testing results and data via USB, Ethernet, and wireless.

According to Viavi, the AVX-10K is capable of testing a range of communications, navigation, and surveillance systems, including very high frequency (VHF) radios, distance measuring equipment, and ADS-B Out transponders, among others.

FreeFlight Systems New Radar Altimeter

FreeFlight Systems’ RA-4500 Mk II is being promoted by the manufacturer as a 5G-resistant radio altimeter. (FreeFlight Systems)

Irving, Texas-based FreeFlight Systems provided an overview of their new RA-4500 Mark II (MK II) radar altimeter, that was first launched earlier this month during the 2022 Heli-Expo exhibition.

The company claims that the RA-4500 Mark II—a replacement for its existing RA-4000 and RA-4500 altimeters—has a “5G mitigation solution” that is a “unique combination of internal filtering and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology that can tolerate out-of-band 5G interference as well as other RF interferences.”

Applied Avionics Nexys Thru-Holes

Applied Avionics is making its individual NEXSYS components available as Thru-hole devices.

Applied Avionics, the Fort Worth, Texas-based supplier of pushbutton switches, introduced its individual NEXSYS components as Thru-hole devices—designed to be compatible with 0.062-inch to 0.093-inch thick circuit boards.

CarlisleIT’s Octax LT

CarlisleIT’s Octax LT connector for commercial aviation applications (CarlisleIT)

Carlisle Interconnect Technologies (CarlisleIT) introduced its new Octax LT 10 Gbps single-port Ethernet connector for commercial aviation applications. The LT marks the entry of the Octax connector series into the commercial market, as the previous variants were primarily used in defense applications.

It is optimized for use with all the CarlisleIT Gigabit Series cables and is field-terminable, according to the company.

Shadin Avionics Embedded Control System Platform

Shadin Avionics and partner company ECE’s embedded control system platform (Shadin Avionics)

Shadin Avionics, the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based data conversion provider, introduced its new “Embedded Control System Platform,” as a solution to enable embedded processing for the majority of applications and systems that require them on aircraft.

“If you have an electro-mechanical system, and you need an embedded control come talk to us. If you have a group of systems engineers and don’t want to hire a bunch of software engineers, come talk to us,” Shadin Avionics President and CEO Mike Ingram said during the new product introduction ceremony.

The post 17 New Avionics Technologies Introduced at the 2022 Aircraft Electronics Association Convention appeared first on Aviation Today.

Swiss International Air Lines Plans to be First in the World to Use Solar Jet Fuel

The company Synhelion has selected Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) as the first to use its solar aviation fuel. (Photo courtesy of Synhelion)

In a strategic collaboration with solar technology developer Synhelion, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and parent company the Lufthansa Group have partnered to bring solar aviation fuel to market and enable SWISS to become the world’s first airline to use solar kerosene. SWISS and the Lufthansa Group coordinated to develop a strategy for bringing Synhelion’s solar kerosene to market. The fuel is carbon-neutral and is made using concentrated sunlight.

This week, Synhelion’s team announced that they will collaborate with the German company INERATEC to combine their technologies and accelerate solar fuel production. INERATEC’s modular synthesis plant will be used to transform syngas into liquid fuels by way of the Fischer-Tropsch process. Both companies offer technologies that are modular and this collaboration will help to demonstrate that producing solar fuels is profitable and scalable.

“Joining forces with Synhelion shows what can be achieved when partners who share the same vision collaborate. Together, we’re producing sustainable fuel to make transportation more climate friendly. We’re looking forward to demonstrating the production of sustainable fuels at scale.” – Tim Böltken, Managing Director and Founder of INERATEC (Photo courtesy of INERATEC)

Carmen Murer of Synhelion gave an in-depth look at the company’s progress and what’s coming up next in an interview with Avionics. Murer, the company’s head of corporate communications, explained the basic idea of creating solar aviation fuel: “We use solar heat directly to drive the thermochemical processes to produce syngas. Syngas is a mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen [H2 and CO], which can then be processed into jet fuel.”

The team plans to start production of the solar fuel in 2023, and their first industrial-scale plant is currently being built in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a demonstration plant, not a commercial one, said Murer, “but it will be the first time that we are really producing fuel at a large-scale plant.” The plant in Germany will serve to demonstrate the potential of Synhelion’s process of transforming concentrated sunlight into liquid fuel for powering airplanes. “Germany is not the ideal location when it comes to solar radiation,” she added, “but the circumstances are ideal to build this plant very quickly to show that the technology works.”

Synhelion’s technology converts concentrated solar heat into the hottest existing process heat on the market, making it possible to drive an unprecedented number of industrial processes such as fuel production and cement manufacturing with solar heat. (Synhelion)

The next plant that Synhelion plans to build will be located in Spain, which is a more ideal location in terms of the sunlight it receives. The plant in Spain will be the company’s first commercial facility, and it could begin production of solar fuel as soon as 2025. Estimated production capacity per year at this commercial plant would be about 500,000 liters of fuel.

By 2030, the company hopes to scale up to production of 875 million liters of fuel per year. “Globally speaking, that’s still a drop in the bucket,” Murer said in mentioning the high levels of fuel consumed by global aviation. However, she explained, if you consider that level of fuel production for one region such as Switzerland, that 875 million liters would cover half of the country’s annual demand for jet fuel. Looking even further ahead to 2040, Synhelion aims to produce 50 billion liters of solar fuel annually.

A key distinguishing feature of Synhelion is what they call the “sun-to-liquid” process as opposed to a “power-to-liquid” process for creating fuel. Murer remarked, “We have a very direct approach with few conversion steps because we use solar heat directly. Solar heat is a very abundant resource, and a big advantage of working with solar heat is that it is storable—we can use it 24 hours a day and produce fuel all day long, which is very important for production of synthetic fuels. With an industrial production facility, you cannot switch it on and off on a daily basis; you want to run it continuously.”

“Our setup is standalone, so all the energy that we need is produced onsite. We don’t have to be connected to an existing energy grid, and we don’t have to wait for renewable electricity capacities to ramp up. We can scale more or less independently.”

“Our involvement with Synhelion is a key element in our long-term sustainability strategy.” – SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx (Photo: Synhelion)

In the company’s announcement, Synhelion CEO and co-founder Dr. Philipp Furler commented on the aviation industry’s interest in sustainable aviation fuels and, in particular, solar fuel. “Our next-generation carbon-neutral solar kerosene is an economically and ecologically viable substitute for fossil fuels,” he remarked. “We believe in a globalized world connected by climate-friendly mobility.”

CEO of SWISS, Dieter Vranckx, looks forward to the opportunity to enable use of solar fuel in regular flight operations in coordination with Synhelion. “We are proud that SWISS will be the first airline in the world to fly with solar kerosene. In partnering with Synhelion, we are supporting Swiss innovation and are actively pursuing and promoting the development, the market introduction and the scaling-up of this highly promising technology for producing sustainable fuels.”

Research and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) have only been ramping up as of late. The company Pratt & Whitney was awarded a project to develop hydrogen propulsion technology by the U.S. Department of Energy last month. Rather than using solar heat, the technology will take advantage of liquid hydrogen combustion and water vapor recovery.

Safran Helicopter Engines and Bell Textron are also prioritizing research into SAF. The two companies recently announced a new collaboration to test the performance of SAF as well as the economic impacts of using it to power the Bell 505 helicopter. The team at Safran hopes to enable use of 100% SAF for helicopter engines in the near future.

The post Swiss International Air Lines Plans to be First in the World to Use Solar Jet Fuel appeared first on Aviation Today.

Canada Chooses F-35A in Future Fighter Competition

An F-35 sits on the ramp at Nellis AFB, Nev. for a Red Flag exercise last August (U.S. Air Force Photo)

The government of Canada on March 28 said that it has begun negotiations with Lockheed Martin on a buy 0f 88 F-35As under the country’s Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 Hornet fighters for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Canada said on March 28 that it “will now enter into the finalization phase of the procurement process with the top-ranked bidder, the United States government and Lockheed Martin, for the F-35 fighter jet.”

“This procurement represents the most significant investment in the RCAF in more than 30 years,” the government of Canada said. “It is essential for protecting the safety and security of Canadians, it will enhance our Arctic sovereignty, it will ensure we are equipped to better defend North America and it will help make sure we continue to meet our NATO and NORAD obligations well into the future.”

Canada said that during the finalization phase negotiations, “the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin must successfully demonstrate that a resulting contract would meet all of Canada’s requirements and outcomes, including value for money, flexibility, protection against risks, and performance and delivery assurances, as well as high-value economic benefits for Canada’s aerospace and defence industry.”

Last last year, Canada said that it had rejected Boeing as a finalist in FFCP. After that announcement, Sweden’s Saab, offering the Gripen E, and Lockheed Martin were the remaining bidders.

In 2018, Canada announced five eligible suppliers to submit proposals for the FFCP as the U.K. and Airbus with the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing with the Super Hornet, France’s Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin with the F-35, and Saab with the Griper E (Defense Daily, Feb. 23, 2018).

However, Dassault withdrew in 2018 and Airbus withdrew in 2019, partially over demanding intelligence data sharing and interoperability requirements.

Canada initially released the final request for proposals (RFP) for the FFCP in 2019.

This article was first published by Defense Daily, a sister publication to Avionics International, it has been edited, click here to view the original version.

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Japanese Conglomerate ITOCHU Invests in Wingcopter, Becomes Authorized Partner

ITOCHU joins existing Wingcopter investors SYNERJET, DRONE FUND, Expa, Xplorer Capital, Futury Capital, Hessen Kapital III, and Corecam Capital Partners. The Japanese conglomerate has also agreed to become an authorized partner of Wingcopter and will be able to distribute and lease the 198 eVTOL drone for delivery services in Japan. (Photo: Wingcopter)

German drone manufacturer Wingcopter announced a strategic partnership today with Japanese general trading company ITOCHU Corporation. ITOCHU is not only investing in Wingcopter but will also distribute and lease the Wingcopter 198 delivery drone in Japan. This new agreement means that ITOCHU is now a part of Wingcopter’s Authorized Partnership Program, joining the Latin American aviation company Synerjet Corp as an authorized partner of Wingcopter.

The drone manufacturer announced in February that they are partnering with UAV del Peru for bringing drone delivery operations to Peru. Wingcopter will provide and deploy its Wingcopter 198 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) drones to enable commercial drone services as well as medical supply delivery in the South American country.

Pictured above is the Wingcopter 198 cargo drone model. (Photo: Wingcopter)

The agreement with ITOCHU is the latest example of Wingcopter’s growing global network of strategic partners that are able to act as drone operators, resellers, promoters, lessors, and distributors in a specific region. Wingcopter views Japan as one of the key markets for future unmanned aircraft system (UAS) delivery services, in part because the country takes a progressive approach to UAS integration. The CEO of Wingcopter, Tom Plümmer, expressed his confidence that ITOCHU’s partnership “will help us serve more Japanese customers and allow us to jointly scale Wingcopter’s operations across Japan.”

ITOCHU’s investment into Wingcopter was made through ITOCHU Europe PLC. The CEO of this subsidiary—Takanori Morita, who is also the Executive Officer of ITOCHU Corporation—believes that Wingcopter is in the best position to become a leader in the drone delivery market. “Together with Wingcopter and its stakeholders, we look forward to a great journey with a product that will make a positive difference to people’s lives,” he said. “Drone delivery has the potential to revolutionize how we transport goods, and it can immediately improve the quality of life for many people across the globe.”

In a recent interview conducted over email, Wingcopter’s Tom Plümmer told Avionics International that one upcoming goal for the company is to achieve type certification from the FAA for its eVTOL drone. The team also plans to establish drone delivery operations on every continent. At the beginning of 2022, Wingcopter partnered with a drone company called Spright to set up a nationwide delivery network in the United States. Spright is a subsidiary of Air Methods, a leading air medical service provider. Spright will be acquiring a significant number of Wingcopter 198 eVTOL drones for its fleet as part of their commercial agreement valued at over $16 million.

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Kraus Hamdani Aerospace CEO Talks Long-Endurance Drones and Enhanced Communication Networks

Pictured above is the ultra-long-endurance drone designed by Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, the K1000ULE. “We’ve already flown the sub-scale version of what we want to fly at higher altitudes within the next 24 months,” CEO Fatema Hamdani stated. (Photo: Kraus Hamdani Aerospace)

Aerospace technology company Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, Inc. recently completed end-to-end vertical take-off and landing tests of their unmanned aerial system, the K1000ULE (Ultra Long Endurance). The fixed-wing drone is fully electric and is capable of longer flight times than any electric aircraft in its size and weight category available today. CEO and co-founder Fatema Hamdani offered in-depth details on the functionality and various applications of the K1000ULE in an interview with Avionics International.

When first starting the company, Fatema Hamdani and co-founder Stefan Kraus saw four key areas that needed to be improved upon in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, including; the distance that UAVs can travel from the operator, maximum flight duration, ease of integration and operational footprint.

“We realized that [drone] innovation had stagnated,” remarked Hamdani, “especially for the larger fixed-wing aircraft.” She described that there were small, incremental changes, but nothing groundbreaking or exponential. Kraus Hamdani Aerospace’s goal was to take an entirely new, open-architecture approach to designing a UAV, integrating concepts from nature in the development of the platform’s onboard AI, its specialized autopilot technology, and energy management systems. Other players in this space, Hamdani said, are integrators of technology. “They have brought in fairly closed technology, and innovation becomes very hard.” In comparison, their team “sits on the entire stack from the hardware through to the software,” from the customization of the motor to the avionics. “Using our open-source approach to software development, when introducing new functionality we can get tens of thousands of users testing it over a weekend. When one of the larger integrators tries to get something introduced, they are barely able to get a hundred hours of testing before moving to production because it’s so closed.”

The K1000ULE has already been flown more than 20,000 feet above sea level. Hamdani added, “A lot of components we’ve already built can extend and scale up as we are growing in size, weight, and power as well as altitude, eventually [going up to] 65,000–85,000 feet above ground level.” The drone has also demonstrated a 26-hour-long non-stop flight, and according to Hamdani, it could fly up to 340 hours depending on the latitude. She noted that it’s not always necessary to have a vehicle capable of operating at the high altitudes mentioned. Instead, the focus has been on long endurance at a variety of altitudes in order to perform different functionalities. These functionalities range from firefighting and disaster management to national security applications. The K1000ULE took part in Project Convergence 21 exercise, providing aerial network coverage for hours during testing of autonomous capabilities that could eventually be integrated into the U.S. Army’s next-generation platforms. “We became the primary network,” Hamdani said. “Because when we were flying, everybody else was connected and could talk to each other across different wave forms because of the radio bridge we have built on our asset.”

Stefan Kraus co-founded the drone company with CEO Fatema Hamdani, pictured above with the K1000ULE. (Kraus Hamdani Aerospace)

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace was awarded an SBIR Phase II contract in 2021 that will be completed in August 2022. The contract’s focus is mission-centric swarming, and the team is contributing enhanced communication across multiple aircraft as well as providing an array of aerial services. “The ability to have smart, fully coordinated airborne assets that are flying and optimizing based on the mission profile, fully autonomously…it changes the game, especially when those aircraft can safely and autonomously deconflict with terrain and other aircraft in the National Air Space” Fatema Hamdani said. Their drones have the AI built- in to coordinate and reconfigure their formation if one is removed.

The technology that the company has developed has the potential to drastically change approaches to disaster management. For example, first responders might carry up to five pieces of equipment for communications; introducing long-endurance drones that could handle communications would help to lighten their load. The K1000ULE also monitors environmental conditions during a wildfire or other disasters and provides critical data to put out fires more quickly or to move people away from danger. In the wake of a disaster, UAVs like these can help in efforts to rebuild by assessing damage in order to receive appropriate funding to replace damaged infrastructure as well as monitoring the recovery process. “We want to be the connective tissue between sea, land, air, and space. We want to enable these assets; we’re making all of us more efficient,” Hamdani explained. “Think of us as satellites that don’t need to be in space; lowering the risk of adding to more potential space-junk.”

The drone developed by Kraus Hamdani Aerospace boasts a small operational footprint, only requiring three people to ensure its operation for a 24-hour period. Another key aspect of their approach is an understanding of low air density and how to fly in it. “Those are the kinds of environments we will be faced with at 65,000 to 85,000 feet above ground level, where air density is very low,” said Hamdani. “We’ve already flown the sub-scale version of what we want to fly at higher altitudes within the next 24 months. We are the only 100% U.S. industrial-based platform with our capabilities.”

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Investigators Recover China Eastern Airlines MU5735 Flight Data Recorder

The team investigating the crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 has recovered its flight data recorder, pictured here. (Photo, courtesy of Xinhua News Agency)

The team investigating the fatal crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region last week has recovered the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR), according to a media briefing held by leaders involved with the investigation on Sunday.

On March 21, the Boeing 737-800 NG operating as China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou lost contact with air traffic controllers and crashed over the city of Wuzhou, Guangxi. All 123 passengers and nine flight crew members onboard were confirmed as dead on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The agency has been releasing updates about the accident investigation primarily through state affiliated media outlets such as Xinhua and CGTN, among others.

Zhu Tao, head of the aviation safety office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told a press briefing held on Sunday that the FDR was recovered approximately 40 meters from the aircraft crash site and has already been sent to a lab in Beijing for decoding. While some parts of the FDR have damage, “the exterior of its data-storage unit is relatively complete,” Tao said.

The cockpit voice recorder from the crashed 737 was already previously recovered last Wednesday.

Flight tracking provider FlightRadar24’s replay of the flight shows that the aircraft reached 29,100 feet before taking a sharp nose dive into the ground. The playback of the flight shows that the aircraft started to climb briefly when it reached 7,200 feet and then took a second dive that ultimately crashed into the ground. The aircraft disappeared from radar coverage around 4,400 feet, according to an update released by CGTN.

Boeing released a statement Saturday following CAAC’s confirmation of the death of all 132 passengers and crew members onboard, stating, “We extend our deepest condolences for the loss of those on board China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers and crew, their families and all those affected by this accident. Boeing will continue to support our airline customer during this difficult time.”

The aircraft manufacturer is providing a technical team in support of the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) to support CAAC, which has assumed the lead role in the investigation. Based on information and statements released by state-affiliated Chinese media outlets about the investigation, the Boeing 737-800 that was operated as MU5735 was first delivered to the airline in 2015 and had been in service for less than seven years.

Investigators are still trying to determine an official cause of the crash.

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Air Greenland to Partner with Avolon and Purchase Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL Aircraft

Air Greenland’s new partnership with Avolon includes an agreement to purchase or lease multiple eVTOL aircraft made by Vertical Aerospace—the VX4 pictured above. (Photo: Still from video provided by Avolon)

In a new partnership, Avolon and Air Greenland will form a Working Group to examine the potential of commercial zero-emission air travel in Greenland. Air Greenland has also committed to a purchase or lease of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Avolon; the eVTOLs will be manufactured by Vertical Aerospace, maker of the five-seater, zero-emission VX4 aircraft.

The new Working Group provides an opportunity for Avolon and Air Greenland to coordinate in identifying local eVTOL requirements related to infrastructure and certification. Once both companies assess the market opportunity, they will be able to determine the number of VX4 eVTOLs necessary for Air Greenland’s fleet. The current fleet includes 17 helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft (Airbus A330-200 and 7 Dash 8-200) for passenger and cargo transportation, and a King Air for medical evacuation.

CEO Jacob Nitter Sørensen: “How can Air Greenland play a bigger part in battling the effects of climate change? Zero-emissions aircraft is the ultimate answer to that question.” (Photo: Avolon / Air Greenland)

The CEO of Air Greenland, Jacob Nitter Sørensen, remarked that this partnership with Avolon is the beginning of their company’s long-term journey towards sustainability. “In Greenland, we see the effects of climate change every day and, as a company, we want to be at the forefront of the climate revolution,” Sørensen said. “The VX4 aircraft will have many uses for Air Greenland and, through our partnership with Avolon, we look forward to welcoming our first travellers onboard in the near future.”

Avolon, the aircraft leasing company headquartered in Ireland, placed an order for 500 VX4 aircraft from Vertical Aerospace in June 2021. The deal could be valued at $2 billion in total. Vertical has also secured partnerships with Rolls-Royce, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Honeywell, and Microsoft. Vertical Aerospace recently shared news of a merger with Broadstone Acquisition Corp. in December 2021. At the time, pre-orders for the VX4 aircraft totaled $5.4 billion.

Key features of the VX4 eVTOL include a low noise profile, a 100-mile range, and a top speed of 200 miles per hour. In addition to a pilot, the aircraft will be capable of transporting four passengers. It is being designed and manufactured to EASA’s (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) safety certification standards.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO of Vertical, commented on the announcement about the collaboration between Avolon and Air Greenland: “We are delighted that Air Greenland has chosen the VX4 to bring zero emissions air travel to the region. This partnership is a significant first step in introducing sustainable air mobility to Greenland.”

“Today’s announcement with Air Greenland means we are taking the zero-emissions travel to the front line of climate change,” commented the CEO of Avolon, Dómhnal Slattery. (Photo: Still from video provided by Avolon)

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The Latest 5G C-Band Interference on Radio Altimeters Research, Testing and Technology Updates

Government-industry consortiums continue to research, test, and release new data and insights about the 5G C-band radio altimeter interference issues that became a problem for aircraft landing at certain airports in recent months. (Photo, courtesy of NTIA)

While the number of new directives and policy updates from the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the impact of 5G C-band wireless service interference on aircraft radio altimeters has slowed since January, research, testing, and debate on a long-term solution for the safe co-existence of the two sides continues. Here, Avionics International provides an overview of some of the latest research and testing that is occurring to understand the interference that can be caused by 5G C-band stations located near airports.

“Everything is going fabulous with the FAA,” Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, said in a response to a question about the company’s 5G C-band wireless service impacting aircraft radio altimeters during the company’s March 11 Investor Day event. “I think we and the industry have done a nice job kind of working through that. And so, no urgent issues or anything that gives us caution.”

On the aviation side of the 5G C-band spectrum equation, research and flight testing continues to occur both at the regulatory and industry levels. Last week, the FAA released its latest 5G C-band related airworthiness directive (AD), with this one targeting older Boeing 747 model aircraft, a total of 126 registered in the U.S.

The latest directive requires airlines flying those 747 models—747-100/200/300/400—to revise operating procedures within their airplane flight manuals for takeoff, instrument landing system (ILS) approaches, non-precision approaches, and go-around and missed approaches, when in the presence of 5G C-Band interference. Boeing has been issuing regular service related updates to operators as new test results become available.

According to the directive, testing on the altimeters featured on those older 747 models determined that the radio altimeter data could produce anomalies when in the presence of 5G C-band interference. Some of the effects of the interference include the generation of erroneous autoland messages and the adjustment of engine thrust levers to ground idle status while in-flight, among others.

FAA pilots and engineers are also actively flight-testing the 5G C-band interference problem on their own aircraft, releasing updates as they become available.

“We are testing for how 5G signals affect radio altimeters using FAA flight-test aircraft outfitted with spectrum analyzers and other specialized equipment,” a representative for the FAA told Avionics in an emailed statement. “Our team is measuring and analyzing the 5G energy that airplanes encounter in flight. Much is known about how these signals behave at ground level, but the details of energy levels at aircraft altitudes are based largely on engineering models.”

By comparing the results of existing engineering models with actual measurements taken during flight tests, the agency believes it can deepen the body of knowledge available on how 5G C-band interacts with safety critical flight instruments.

“We will make all of our analysis available to our federal partners and to the wireless companies participating in these tests,” the FAA said.

Some of the partners that the FAA is sharing that analysis with are members of the Joint Interagency Five G Radar Altimeter Interference (JI-FRAI) group, which includes participation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), airlines, and avionics manufacturers.

The JI-FRAI group was first established last year and includes several individual members who are also performing their own flight testing of real in-flight scenarios evaluating how 5G C-band wireless service base stations can unintentionally impact the performance of radio altimeters. One member of the group, the Institute for Telecommunications Sciences (ITS)—the research laboratory arm of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—published a special report earlier this month outlining some of the flight-testing its own researchers are doing in Colorado.

The Institute for Telecommunications Sciences is evaluating the impact of 5G transmissions from mobile trucks, pictured here, on a radio altimeter featured on a Robinson R44 helicopter. (NTIA)

A March 9 video released by the agency features Frank Sanders, a senior technical fellow at ITS, providing an overview of how the ITS team has set up an array of 5G transmitters attached to trucks—known as Cell on Light Truck (COLT) technology—at a Department of Commerce test site in Table Mountain, Colorado. The 5G transmitters provide connectivity to active 5G mobile phones at the facility, and the team is using specialized spectrum analyzers to measure the field strength of the 5G transmissions and how they can unintentionally cause interference to radio altimeters featured on a Robinson R44 helicopter that they’re flying over the transmitters. ITS has also equipped the R44 with spiral measurement antennas that measure the field strength of the 5G transmissions within that slice of airspace.

“NTIA’s Boulder laboratory, ITS, has begun performing measurements of the unintentional antenna radiation from 5G base stations, to quantify exactly how much power will impinge on aircraft flying near such tower locations,” ITS notes in its update.

Sameh Yamany, chief technology officer of Viavi Solutions, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based test and monitoring equipment supplier, explained in emailed statements to Avionics how their technology helps evaluate potential interference issues through modeling and simulation.

“The testbed constructs 3D RF models for signals encountered in and around airports extending out at least 10 miles or more and up to 7,500 feet in elevation,” Yamany said, adding that the testbed consists of a signal generator capable of emulating 5G C-band interference along with a test set and handheld spectrum analyzer that monitor the performance of radio altimeter in signal time delay and path loss. “Leakage” emissions that replicate those generated from the 5G C-band 3.98-4.2 GHz spectrum can also be tested and evaluated using the testbed setup.

“By correlating the simulated RADALT emissions, the interference emissions and their power levels, the Viavi testbed records and reproduces the specific conditions where the RADALT impairs or fails,” Yamany said. The company supplies the test equipment for both laboratory simulations and field testing, which can require a different setup, using a vector signal analyzer (VSA) and generator supplied by Viavi called “Ranger.”

Viavi provided this overview of the testbed setup the company provides to test the impact of 5G C-band on radio altimeters. (Viavi Solutions)

“Field Spectrum Monitoring involves spectrum clearance and interference identification,” Yamany said. “In some cases, more detailed spectrum captures will be needed to adequately monitor and assess the RF spectrum in C-Band used by RADALTs and cellular base stations. The Ranger VSA can record live over-the-air (OTA) RF signals as experienced near the RADALT to monitor the spectrum environment in both the C-band and RADALT bands. For example, it can record up to 2.5 hours at 200 MHz IBW per channel, where one channel is set to capture between 3.8-4.00 GHz or 3.9-4.1 GHz , with precision GPS timestamped captures and custom triggering mechanisms.”

Several aviation manufacturers and service providers are also collaboratively researching 5G C-band interference as part of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) Special Committee 239 and Eurocae Working Group 119. SC-239 was first established in 2020 and produced the first report that identified the potential interference issues associated with the operation of 5G wireless services in the 3.7-3.98 GHz spectrum range.

Claude Pichavant, an executive communication, navigation, and surveillance engineer for Airbus, participated in a Eurocontrol webinar last month where he discussed the RTCA and Eurocae goals in updating radio altimeter standards to make the technology less susceptible to out-of-band spectrum interference.

“The idea is to create a new standard that will define the new performances that are foreseen for new radio altimeters in order to be robust to the new 5G or even 6G environment. We expect to have this new performance standard by mid 2023,” Pichavant said.

Irving, Texas-based FreeFlight Systems has become one of the first avionics suppliers to directly address the interference issues with new technology, unveiling its new “RA-4500 Mark II (MK II) radar altimeter” during the Helicopter Association International’s 2022 Heli-Expo exhibition earlier this month. The company claims that the upgrade—a replacement for its existing RA-4000 and RA-4500 altimeters—has a “5G mitigation solution” that is a “unique combination of internal filtering and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology that can tolerate out-of-band 5G interference as well as other RF interferences.”

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Shareholders Invest $23 Million in Skyports for Vertiports and Drone Services

At the first close of its Series B round of funding, Skyports received $23 million in investments from new and existing shareholders. (Photo: Hanwha Systems/Skyports)

At the close of its latest funding round, Skyports announced that it had raised $23 million in capital from both new and existing investors. With access to these new funds, Skyports—a provider of infrastructure solutions for advanced air mobility (AAM) and cargo drone deliveries—will be able to accelerate its work in developing and implementing take-off and landing infrastructure in addition to being able to scale operations of its drone services.

The CEO of Skyports, Duncan Walker, remarked that their goal is to be the leading vertiport owner and operator worldwide. “The support of our original investors who have deep experience in aviation and infrastructure and the addition of new capital from world class companies with a global footprint enables us to build the air taxi eco-system alongside our best-in-class vehicle partners for initial operations within a couple of years,” he stated in the company’s announcement.

Another priority for the company is sustainability, and in particular, reducing carbon emissions. The drone services they offer, which include cargo delivery and surveillance solutions, are part of the aviation industry-wide effort to reduce carbon emissions. According to Walker, Skyports’ drone business is expanding, and he sees their competitive advantages as technology development and expertise in regulation and operation of unmanned aircraft.

Existing shareholders Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Solar Ventus, Groupe ADP, Irelandia, and Levitate Capital all participated in this Series B round of funding. New investors included the Japanese conglomerate Kanematsu Corporation, the global industrial property group Goodman Group, Italian airport platform 2i Aeroporti (backed by Ardian’s Infrastructure Fund and F2i Italian Infrastructure Fund), and U.S.-based VC firm GreenPoint, according to Skyports. The company will gain two new board members, including a representative from Kanematsu Corporation and the CEO of DHL eCommerce, Ken Allen.

Skyports designs, builds, and operates vertiport networks in major cities to enable air taxi and cargo drone services. (Photo: Skyports)

Towards the end of last year, Skyports announced plans to set up a vertiport in Paris, France, and begin commercial operations in 2024 in time for the Paris Olympics. If successful, this would be the first commercial vertiport in Europe. The Skyports vertiport will feature technologies such as re-charging equipment, weather stations, biometric identity management, and situational awareness capabilities.

Skyports formed a partnership with Eve Urban Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, in June 2021. Their objective is to create a concept of operations for urban air mobility (UAM) and advance integration of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Asia and in the Americas. Skyports’ Duncan Walker commented, “Our partnership with Eve paves the way for rapid innovation in UAM, accelerating innovation to meet the growing demand for eVTOL services.”

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Monthly Archives: March 2022